Lakers: LA Has Been Rolling Since These Two Role Players Returned From Injuries

Unfortunately, now other players are hurt.

Your Los Angeles Lakers have looked like a different team of late, with or without the services of one of their two All-Stars, injured big man Anthony Davis.

Since Schröder and Bryant both returned from thumb surgeries that caused them to miss the beginning of the 2022-23 NBA season, the Lakers have sported a 16-11 record, Mike Trudell of Lakers.com reveals. The team has also won its last five straight games, with Schröder and Bryant each stepping up (especially on offense) as other Lakers have gone down. 

Schröder scored his career-most points as a Laker (32) in the team's surprising 112-109 Wednesday night win over the Miami Heat Wednesday, with LeBron James, Davis, and Lonnie Walker IV all sitting. Bryant scored a season-high 29 points on 12-of-14 shooting from the field, while pulling down 14 rebounds, last night against in the team's narrow 136-134 road win over the Sacramento Kings.

During this ongoing win streak, Schröder is averaging 21.4 points on a red-hot .508/.536/.875 slash line, plus 3.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. Bryant, meanwhile, is logging 1.2 points at a completely insane 71.9% field goal shooting rate, 13.6 rebounds, 0.8 blocks and 0.8 steals a night.

This competent duo, both signed to veteran's minimum salaries over the summer, have both done their part to help the Lakers play at a level beyond the sum of their healthy parts.

Having a guy named LeBron James on their side sure doesn't hurt, either.

LA will get a crack at its sixth straight win tomorrow night against perennial MVP candidate Nikola Jokic and his Denver Nuggets, the top seed in the Western Conference.